The Dead Boy Detectives

Dead Boy Detectives #2

by Ed Brubaker, Bryan Talbot (Illustrator)

Collected for the first time, this tale stars Edwin and Charles from THE SANDMAN: SEASON OF MISTS. Their first case involves a string of grisly murders — and the immortal Hob Gadling. Written by Ed Brubaker (Captain America, SLEEPER).

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Horror, Fiction, Mystery

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Ed Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.

Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.

In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember the appearance of this duo in Sandman so perhaps I'm missing something, but the introductory story was terrible. It was short, minimally plotted, gratuitously violent (I'm not particularly squeamish, but I don't *enjoy* violence, especially not graphic violence perpetrated on children and animals), and neither explained or connected with any larger story. The girls who are introduced are cliched (girls like cleaning, and pink, and hearts and flower) and disappear from the narrative quite soon. The story is resolved by someone else, with no actual mystery or investigation. In fact, if it hadn't been over before I expected it I might not have gotten to the end.

Luckily, it got much better after that. I don't know why that first bit was even there. The rest of the book is two longer stories with a larger plot arc. Crystal Palace is a cool, albeit unfortunately named, kid and her interaction with the two boys really added a dimension. Their relationship was also better developed as it went on. I particularly liked the distinction between their narration. The creepy boarding school was a neat twist on a classic setting: unlike the unrelated book by that name, this school really did have a Demon Headmaster! I wonder if the plot line(s) concerning Crystal's roommate we've touched base with her wandering spirit, but no further mention is made of her possessed body will get resolved. I'd like to see the adventurous Victorian girls again, too.



So many cats...

[Airiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neil Gaiman seemed to have created a larger sandbox for other writers to play on when he penned Season of Mists, the fourth volume of The Sandman series. It has spawned a bunch of successful spin-offs, particularly Mike Carey's 75-issue Lucifer graphic novels, centering on the ex-ruler of Hell and his activities after his resignation. There's also Jill Thompson's Death: At Death's Door, chronicling Death's whereabouts and activities when the dead sprouted back to earth in the wake of Lucifer's resignation.

Now, Ed Brubaker wrote a four-issue miniseries zeroing in on the question, "What happened to the two English schoolboys who refused to go with Death?” The answers all here in Dead Boy Detectives: The Secret to Immortality.

The story: An immortal killer is stalking London’s homeless teenagers and Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, the two boy ghosts now playing Holmes-Watson, are hot on his trail thanks to a tip from one of the street kids, Marcia. Initially suspecting a mysterious man calling himself the Marquis de Marquez, the boys’ suspicions are eventually put to rest and they end up helping the Marquis in his own quest to catch the killer. The culprit is identified by the Marquis as once having been the infamous Gilles de Rais who now goes by the name Robert “Hob” Gadling. After the Marquis teaches the boys some new haunting skills and magical spells, together they get their man. Once Hob is safely secured in the Marquis’ dungeon and set to meet his mortal fate, it seems that “all’s well that ends well” and the boys leave feeling very proud of themselves. That is until the old witch Mad Hettie appears and explains to them that not only is Hob Gadling an innocent man, but also that the Marquis de Marquez has been using magic to control their minds from the very start…

I love Brubaker’s interpretation of the kid ghosts, although they seem to be very different from Gaiman’s original characters—they are forever torn between childish banters and semi-adult introspections. As for the story, I have to admit it’s pretty predictable, although I think Brubaker is not exactly aiming for a shock factor. I liked how historical bits and legends are incorporated with the storyline, especially about Joan of Arc’s involvement and the myths surrounding the figure of Dracula. While the art is okay, they seem to provide a feel dissimilar to that of the Sandman comics.

Over all, this is still an okay spin-off.

[Wasif Noor · Rating 4 out of 5]

আমি জানতাম Ed Brubaker হচ্ছেন noir/crime comics এর রাজা, কিন্তু এই মাত্র ৪ ইস্যুর সিরিজ পড়ে বুঝলাম যে উনি চাইলে YA Supernatural Detective গল্পও অনায়াসে লিখতে পারেন। খুবই মজা পেয়েছি এই সিরিজটা পড়ে, অন্য সিরিজগুলোও পড়ছি এখন।

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sandman as done by Gaiman - I miss you so much. The elegant commentary upon people and life through anthropomorphic personification as delivered with variable, beautiful graphics and light insightful writing....

Every so often, I miss the joy of a new Sandman so much I go out and read a hack comic like this since there is no more of the good stuff.

'The Sandman Presents' franchise, I feel could also be called 'Vertigo want to keep cashing in on Gaiman for as long as they can'. It could also be called 'Flogging a Dead Horse' because most of the ones I have read are pretty poor.

Dead Boy Detectives is every bit as bad as I suspected it would be: The two title characters (or do I mean caricatures?) are Edwin and Charles, from a small story in the original Season Of Mists (I think) and while the original story was spooky this recreation of the characters is banal and bland.

In a further effort to rope in people like me, other Sandman characters are pulled,kicking and screaming, out of the cupboard to compensate for the authors having nothing original of their own to say (or, possibly, Vertigo, cashing in ect). Hob Gadling is luck enough to have a fairly minor role, so he is not mutilated too heavily. Except for one part, where he fears he is about to die and yells "Dream" what is that steaming pile of hotspur Vertigo? Hob didn't live for hundreds of years because Dream came to save him. Dream NEVER ONCE stepped in on his life to save or assist him. I am angry about that.

Poor Mad Hettie fared much worse than Hob. From a mysterious, almost mystical character with numinous -if somewhat odiriferous- qualities she is downgraded to being a cheap and nasty witch, with a vindictive and superficial existence and a shake down by the river. Pathetic.

Brubaker; what are you doing? You have so much to offer, like Westworld - brilliant concept and execution- why this travesty?

The artwork is competent, with a combination of old/new comic characteristics and hints of the real Sandman comics.

Well, I asked for it, I had hopes, but low expectations. My expectations were met, my hopes were not.

[Vinicius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esse encadernado, pelo menos a versão brasileira da Panini, compila duas histórias, sendo uma de Dead Boy Detectives e outra chamada Love Street.

Se tratando da primeira história, ela é bem legal e divertida, pois mostra uma investigação conduzida pelos garotos detetives mortos de maneira descontraída com alguns tons de seriedade. No entanto, alguns momentos da trama desconectam o leitor do problema que os garotos estão tentando desvendar, parece que não há uma seriedade ou algo que cative o leitor a realmente se importar com a condução. Não é uma historia ruim, mas é ok.

Acredito que o mais interessante é ver como os garotos buscam se firmar enquanto detetives e tentam aprender coisas novas em como agir enquanto fantasmas, pois eles ainda não aprenderam tudo.

A segunda história eu não entendi porque estava na HQ denominada de Garotos Detetives Mortos, porque é uma trama do universo de Sandman que é mais um complemento à trama principal de Sandman (Morpheus) e ao mesmo tempo um flashback do Constantine.

Deixando essa questão de não se encaixar no que a HQ promete, como eu mencionei acima, é uma historia que serve de complemento para quem leu Sandman, principalmente o primeiro arco de histórias, pois retoma a questão do Sandman estar preso e como era o constantine criança. Além disso, é uma trama que depois se desenrola para uma trama individual do Constantine, que tem implicações em suas amizades quando criança. Também descobrimos algo a respeito do Sonhar enquanto Morpheus está preso.

[Valentin Derevlean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mişto desenată. Povestea însă nu e ieşită din comun.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ed Brubaker, known for his hard boiled crime stories gives slightly less hard boiled Dead Boy Detectives a shot.

He definitely gets the characters, Charles's bombastic desire to save heroines in peril and Edwin's desire to actually focus on the case while rolling his eyes.

This isn't connected at all with the previous (or future?) series and it doesn't really need to be. They're ghosts, it could be long after or long before because as long as they continue to outrun Death they'll continue to be the best ghost boy detectives there are.

This isn't my favourite Brubaker book, but it's cool to see him do something different from what I'm used to.

I'm not a huge fan of the artwork, something about it just feels off, but it's technically well drawn.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's ironic that Brubaker, best known for his crime writing, did such early work on detectives who are dead. But, this isn't a noir piece; instead, Brubaker is closely mimicking Gaiman's writing style for the twain. And, he does a good job. This is a funny, whimsical, and light story. The mystery has a good twist, and Brubaker has a lot of fun by letting the readers in on it before the characters find out.

I'm not as thrilled by Brubaker's use of another Sandman character, who's one of my favorites. He just doesn't get the voice right.

Still, this is a nice read and a good prelude to the much later Dead Boy Detectives v2.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divertida introducción a las aventuras de estos adolescentes muertos venidos a detectives. Contenidas apariciones del panteón Vertigo y ganas de una segunda aventura.

[Akylina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was very fascinating, even though it felt rather childish in some parts, but I'm sad to say I couldn't stand the art. It looked sloppy and very badly made.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite fun. I had enjoyed the story of Edwin & Charles from The Sandman #25 quite a bit and to have them spun off into their own story seemed delightful. The dynamics of their relationship is a bit off, but then these are just a couple of boys who never really had a chance to find out who the are. Couple of Lost Boys, I suppose. But Ed Brubaker also spins in some other characters who’ve appeared in the pages of The Sandman, so long time readers can really enjoy all the cameos and guest appearances. The art seems like an odd combination of the blocky Bryan Talbot and the wispy Steve Leialoha, but it works beautifully. And the whole idea of turning Edwin & Charles into a pair of Boy Detectives was really inspired. I’d read these initially as individual issues when they were first published and I don’t think I’ve gone back and revisited them since, although maybe one other time just before their ongoing series first started up seems likely. In any case, as I said, this is quite entertaining.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 3 out of 5]

La existencia editorial de estos personajes es tan arbitraria como su presentación en las mismas páginas de Sandman. Siendo unos personajes que "rehuyen" a MUERTE justamente cuando está ocupada en uno de esos grandes momentos de la saga onírica escrita por Neil Gaiman. Dejando que estos dos jóvenes con aspiraciones detectivescas puedan protagonizar sus propias historias en el "Sandmanverse"... Cosa que aún a día de hoy sigue pasando, pero de forma muy alterna y comprimida. Ya sea con otro "amerimanga" de Jill Thompson, una miniserie previa de dos números o esta de 4 en el que Ed Brubaker se dejó caer por la ruinosa casa árbol donde esta pareja de personajes pretende instaurar su oficina de detectives.

Hay cierta lógica en que un guionista tan afincado al género negro y policial como Brubaker se acerque a estos personajes. Y sí que su "Los Chicos Detectives" cuenta con cierta estructura de misterio clásico (sumado a ciertas referencias más o menos decimonónicas dependiendo del protagonista que dialogue) e investigación (animada por ciertas habilidades espectrales o acompañantes sobrenaturales). Pero en todo momento, y aunque todo se relacione con un particular asesino sobrenatural de jóvenes sin techo londinenses, el cómic se siente como un simple pasatiempo en el que Brubaker apenas conjuga esa intención de proponer una versión Vértigo de novelas de misterio juveniles como "El Club de los 5" y el tener que acudir a ciertos secundarios vistos en Sandman (y, vaya, totalmente relacionados con el leitmotiv de la trama en base a la inmortalidad). Se agradece bastante que los personajes principales sean tan "básicos" en su personalidad y acciones para que no moleste mucho si no entras bien en el trasfondo (que redactan a modo de exposición, ojo, también en unos cuadros de texto que se hiper reproducen en sub capítulos que se vuelve un recurso bastante odioso) del que surgen de la obra mayor de Sandman. Así, la lectura nunca se hace realmente pesada o intrascendente. No tanto el estilo gráfico, que si bien denota un dibujante del "British Boom" comiquero original como es Bryan Talbot, y quien realmente ha trabajado en la citada Sandman y Hellblazer. No sé por qué pero me parece que se esfuerza lo más posible en que todas las caras de personajes se sientan "extrañas". Hablando de que los protagonistas son apenas preadolescentes pues ciertas expresiones y hiper marcados y sombreados de facciones forman un "uncanny valley" terrible. Sí que me gusta la idea de que los ojos de los fantasmas sean totalmente blancos. Pero la verdad es que hace lamentar que Dave McKean quede en las portadas. Aunque su estilo sería hiper experimental, al menos no se quedaría en un punto tan frustrante de convencionalismo como el de Talbot. Y la conexión literaria con las eras clásicas del relato detectivesco quizás habría conjugado con el estilo de McKean.

Los Chicos Detectives no es una de las mejores lecturas spin-off de Sandman (vengo de leer La Chica Que Quería Ser la Muerte y sin duda recomiendo más), pero al menos ofrece una historia de corte clásico y una gran curiosidad en la bibliografía de Ed Brubaker.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reprints The Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives #1-4 (August 2001-November 2001). Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland aren’t like other boys…they’re dead. While young people can see them, Edwin and Charles mostly drift by older people without a thought and spend their days enjoying the “life” they no longer have. Deciding to be detectives, Edwin and Charles find the case of missing homeless children might be just what they need to improve their credentials…but catching the killer who seems to drain the life from his victims means teaming up with the Marquis de Marquez who might have secret of his own.

Written by Ed Brubaker, The Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives is a DC Vertigo Sandman mini-series. The four issue limited series features art by Bryan Talbot and covers by Dave McKeon.

The Dead Boy Detectives first appeared The Sandman #25 (April 1991) as the ghosts of children who chose to stay on Earth instead of passing on. The characters made off and on appearances through various titles and eventually ended up with their own limited series. Like many of The Sandman spin-offs, half the joy of The Sandman Presents: The Dead Boy Detectives is how it ties into the bigger Sandman mythos.

The series is an odd anti-mystery. The Dead Boy Detectives are trying to find the killer of runaway teens living in the London Underground but fall hook, line, and sinker for the Marquis de Marquez’s story of the killer “Hob”. It is obvious from his introduction that the Marquis is evil and readers of The Sandman know the origin of Hob. There is very little mystery to the story which is both fun (the Dead Boy Detectives after all are children and don’t have the best judgment), but it is also frustrating in that a good mystery surrounding the characters would have been fun.

Hob and Mad Hettie of The Sandman become prominent characters in the story, and I have always felt Hob was one of the best aspects of Gaiman’s Sandman tales since he provided a sense of mortality and humbleness for Dream. As a result, I’m always happy to see him show up. Mad Hettie also makes the rounds and frequently has shown up in other series so seeing her stop by is both expected and enjoyable.

The Sandman Presents: The Dead Boy Detectives feels rather quick and abrupt. It is always interesting to see other writers (like Brubaker) tackle characters from The Sandman since they are so tied to Neil Gaiman and his vision for the Sandman world. With only one limited series, it feels like a lot of opportunity was missed in exploring the Dead Boy Detectives’ world and their new found “life”. The Dead Boy Detectives eventually got another shot and had a twelve issue series starting in 2014.

[Frank Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dieses Review bezieht sich auf die deutsche Edition, erschienen im Panini Verlag unter der ISBN 3741637408 und dem Titel "Sandman - Dead Boy Detectives: Das Geheimnis der Unsterblichkeit"

Neil Gaiman hat mit seiner Sandman-Reihe bewiesen, welch kreative und herrlich erzählte Ideen in seinem Kopf schlummern. Die Reihe ist nicht nur von den „Ewigen“ geprägt, sondern auch von sehr vielen Neben- und Binnengeschichten (also Geschichten in Geschichten). In Heft 25 wird z.B. von zwei Jungen erzählt, die sich weigern, mit dem Tod mitzugehen. „Death“ ist wie „Dream“ eine der Ewigen und zudem Dreams Schwester. (Im Deutschen findet sich die Geschichte in „Sandman 4: Zeit des Nebels“, in dem die Hefte 21 bis 28 enthalten sind.)

Es sind die beiden Jungs Edwin und Charles, die nun als Geister durch England streifen und begonnen haben, als Hobbydetektive tätig zu werden. Sie tauchen sporadisch in der Sandman-Reihe auf und es gibt sogar eine Fernsehserie bei Netflix (die auch im Deutschen schon verfügbar ist). Und nun eben auch diese Graphic Novel „Auf der Jagd der Unsterblichkeit“, die auch verständlich ist, wenn die Sandman-Reihe nicht bekannt ist. Es braucht also keinerlei Vorkenntnisse, um diesen Fall zu verstehen.

Dieser Fall ist geprägt von der kindlichen Naivität der beiden Hauptfiguren, für die das Herumgeistern ein großes Abenteuer ist. Glücklicherweise gibt es noch andere Geistern, die den beiden immer wieder auf die Sprünge verhelfen. Dieser Fall wird von Ed Brubaker erzählt, der schon in vielerlei Hinsicht tätig wurde. In dieser Graphic Novel erzählt er allerdings eine sehr vorhersehbare Geschichte, die kaum Überraschungen bietet.

Fazit
Diese in sich abgeschlossene Graphic Novel erzählt einen vorhersehbaren Fall für die beiden jugendlichen Hobbydetektive, der durch eher durch sein ungewöhnliches Setting punktet. Die Geisterwelt mit Verbindungen zur realen Welt ist gut dargestellt und erfrischend anders. Und für Fans der Sandman-Reihe ist diese Graphic Novel so der so ein Muss.

[Lindsey Lawntea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several years ago, I entered a NetGalley request for an ARC of The Dead Boy Detectives. Unfortunately, my computer crashed and the file was erased before I could read it. I have been slowly making my way through the books I had on hold back then, as I could find them in libraries and bookstores.

It wasn't until after I read this volume that I realized my mistake - the ARC I'd received was actually a remake. I'm glad I made that mistake as I was able to read the original beforehand to compare the character development.

Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine are two young boys who spend their days in their treehouse - excuse me, office - pretending to be detectives - sorry, being genuine actual detectives who totally didn't get their PI certificate from a mail order in a comic book. But the cases they investigate are far from normal, and as a matter of fact, the boys are too. After all, they're ghosts!

When a runaway girl shows up at the treehouse wanting their help solving the mysterious murders of her friends, all youth who live on the streets of London, the boys jump at the chance to solve the crimes. But they may be out of their leagues with this case, and Charles's crush on the human girl might prove to be a risk to everyone's safety.

I enjoyed the story, but did not find it groundbreaking or anything. The tie-in to Sandman was pretty interesting, but it also had the sometimes-confusing rollercoaster feeling that I get with that series, where it feels like it is assuming there are things you should know which haven't been explained at all yet. Fortunately, that feeling wasn't quite so strong as it is with the actual Sandman series. It's a fairly quick read, appropriate enough for older children and teens, and the characters are entertaining.

The art style of this reminds me of the serial comic strips from my childhood, the ones I always skipped over because they didn't have a goofy punchline at the end (I'm lookin' at you, Rex Morgan, M.D.). I was a much bigger fan at the time of Beetle Bailey, Hagar the Horrible, all the bright, colorful, six-paneled strips. I'd like to think I'm more cultured now, but while I didn't necessarily dislike the art style, I liked the cover art far more for the unsettling, disproportionate features of the characters. It was very Sandman-esque. I realize it is unfeasible to want this to be the actual art style, as cover art is always more detailed due to the time it would take to make an entire graphic novel in that style, but it would have been nice to have a side issue or short story with that art style.

Overall, it's a fast and entertaining read, but it probably won't be on the list of most memorable stories I've read.

[Adam Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ed Brubaker is one of the best writers of noir and street level superhero books in the modern era. Between Criminal, Vol. 1: Coward, Reckless, and Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty, he's written some of my favorite DC/Image stories.

This is not one of those.

While this is early on in his career, he doesn't appear to have a knack for writing either younger characcters or adventure style comics. The dialog is a mess, the characters barely manage second dimensions, and the references to other works feel amateurish. The use of Mad Hettie, in particular, does the character a huge disservice, not at all resembling the character we met during Sandman.

I found myself skipping pages not just because I wanted to get through the book faster but because my eyes were rolling so hard that they couldn't reset until I'd turned two or three pages.

I don't recommend this unless you're a Sandman or Brubaker completist.

This gets bumped up a star because Bryan Talbot's art is a fun update on the classic Vertigo adventure comic style.

[Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Not for the first time, Edwin wondered exactly what his friend had gotten them into, and why he was so eager to tempt fate"

I'm pretty happy with this beginning that merges traditional British Boarding School age boys, with Detective stories. Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine, two characters we met from The Sandman #25: Season of Mists Chapter 4 are now ghosts who have formed their own detective agency. They meet a potential client, Marcia, a homeless teenage girl who says her friends are going missing and turning up dead. Murdered. But nobody cares because they're homeless. There's a brief mention to a witch living by the Thames - could they be referring to the immortal Mad Hettie? If so, interesting Easter Egg there. Marcia decides kids can't solve the case and leaves but the Deadboy Detectives have decided to investigate anyway and thus the adventure begins.

[Shahista44 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this comic book because I watched the Netflix show 'Dead Boy Detectives'. The storyline hooked me in straight away, I love having a mystery to solve and there were times where I felt that I knew what would happen and get an inkling of certain characters, but it was enjoyable seeing how Edwin and Charles operated. Although it may be considered a heavy storyline, I felt that it was supported by the light-hearted and playful tone provided by the characters which made it a quick and easy read.

It was fun seeing Charles and Edwin's friendship and their banter, the qualities of their characters' in the comic books makes it obvious what the actors picked up for the show and they executed it well. They do seem younger in the comic book but that may be due to the art. I liked the art style, it was defining and really adds to the mood of the setting.

Overall, I will try to find more of the comic books with the dead boy detectives as they are entertaining to read.

[Carlo Gnutti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dead boy detectives
Si vede che Brubaker non e’ a suo agio col sovrannaturale e non riesce a raccontarlo in maniera credibile o non ridicola.
Ritroviamo Hob Gadling, l’essere immortale amico di Sogno visto in alcuni numeri di Sandman
I colori sono abbastanza piatti: l’unica profondità la danno i piccoli tocchi di pennino di Talbot.

Love street
Racconta di gruppo di amici che si ritrova a distanza di più di 30 anni per l’imminente morte di una di loro.
Una storia che non aggiunge assolutamente niente al mondo di Sandman e non ha niente da dire neanche come storia a sé stante.
Fa il suo ritorno Alex Burgess ovvero colui che ha tenuto Sonno prigioniero per decenni.

[Ernesto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tercera parada en mi lectura de todo Dead Boy Detectives, tras el nº 25 de Sandman y Free Country: Children’s Crusade. Este tomito no está mal del todo, aunque no le ayuda demasiado ni el tono relajado e infantil (podría ser perfectamente un middle grade tipo Pesadillas de Stine) ni el dibujo, que apoya incluso más la idea de que es un cómic para niños. La historia, eso sí, está bien, sobre todo porque en la trama son muy relevantes dos personajes secundarios pero muy queridos de The Sandman. Recomendado para pasar un ratito agradable sin más pretensiones.

[mees · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sandman is the best comic I have ever read. Maybe the best story I have ever come across. So it is hard to follow that up, especially with characters that were in my favorite story arc. I loved the dynamic between the two even though it didn't feel as good as it was in the original small story.

The story itself was fine but since it is in the Sandman universe I think I expected something more.

However I still enjoyed reading it and I love seeing more of Charles and Edwin.

[Jacob Shaffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one starts off slow and then it’s pretty iiiiight, also the endings not very satisfying

I think the comic strip silly romp feel is similar to the Thessaliad but it works better here because our main characters are children, not a millennia old woman with the whole world as her skill set being reduced so dramatically

The most radically changed character here in my opinion is Mad Hettie but I was still happy to see her

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little detective story with a couple of boy investigators who happen to be dead. I'm glad Neil Gaiman (and Vertigo comics) lets a few people play in his worlds with his characters. Not a huge fan of the art in this one, just not my style. I figured out the twist before the boys did. It'd be cool to see further adventures.

[Awake at Midnight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entirely predictable, but reading this now really brought back the feeling of my original reading of The Sandman comics. Two boys are manipulated by Ras al Ghul, who is trying to steal the immortality of one of Dream's coffee pals. Bad choice. No special guest appearances of the Endless, but this was a fun afternoon read.

[Michael Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 2001 Vertigo series chronicles Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland’s first case with numerous ties to the Sandman Universe. The identity of the murderer is fairly obvious to everyone except the two boys, though Brubaker writes a solid story exemplifying what the Sandman series does best - intermingling historical figures with mythic fantasy - and is complemented with Talbot’s art style. Fans of the live action version of the boys may not find much familiar with this portrayal, but it’s fun read for those craving more DBD.

[Highland G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short and slightly predictable detective tale. Not a huge fan of the art but I think it was mainly the colourless dead boys eyes that bothered me.
Overall its a fun story and easily stands alone as its one thing.

[Janet Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun! I’ll read more! But give me more to care about...

[Alex Fyffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jamie Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not brubakers regular cup of tea. I read everything I can get my hands that’s sandman related and the dead boy detectives were great. This is a descent story. Nothing special though. 4 stars.

[Gheorghe Paslariu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a fun one. Not a lot of depth to it but fun read nonetheless.